The Futility of Life61There is an evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent [I]Lit uponamong men— 2a man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor so that his soul lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God has not empowered him to eat from them, for a foreigner [J]Lit eats from themenjoys them. This is [K]Or futilityvanity and a severe affliction. 3If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many [L]Lit the days of his yearsthey be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper burial, then I say, “Better the miscarriage than he, 4for it comes in futility and goes into obscurity; and its name is covered in obscurity. 5“It never sees the sun and it never knows anything;[M]Lit more rest has this one than thatit is better off than he. 6“Even if the other man lives a thousand years twice and does not [N]Lit seeenjoy good things—do not all go to one place?”7All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the [O]Lit soulappetite is not [P]Lit filledsatisfied. 8For what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the poor man have, knowing how to walk before the living? 9What the eyes see is better than what the soul [Q]Lit goes afterdesires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.10Whatever exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. 11For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a man? 12For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few [R]Lit daysyears of his futile life? He will [S]Lit dospend them like a shadow. For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?